Monthly Narrative Report

Transcription

1 Monthly Narrative Report The Centre for Land, Economy & Rights of Women Project Title: Addressing Women s Livelihoods & their Rights through Gender Equality Reporting Period: February 2009 Recipient Organisation: The Centre for Land, Economy & Rights of Women - CLEAR

2 A. Organizational Details Name of Organization CLEAR Type of Organization TRUST Name of Project ADDRESSING WOMEN S LIVELIHOODS AND THEIR LAND RIGHTS THROUGH GENDER EQUALITY. Country where project is based Geographical coverage of project KENYA EAST AFRICA Reporting period February 2009 Author of Report and Contact Details (Including , phone, etc) Nancy Amayo nancy@clearwomen.org B. Funding Status Total Project Budget 153,846 Total spent this month 8,028 Funds remaining 64,224 CLEAR MONTHLY NARRATIVE REPORT February 2009 Page 2

3 Introduction The Centre for Land, Economy and Rights of Women (CLEAR) is a Regional Trust Organization addressing social and economic justice, working with poor and vulnerable women and in solidarity with similar initiatives working towards improving women s livelihoods through secure and equitable access to and the utilization of land and other natural resources. Operationally, CLEAR s work is anchored on influencing policy, research, advocacy and networking, and capacity building on women s land rights. In collaboration with NEPAD, CLEAR is focusing as well on addressing women s livelihoods and their land rights through gender equality for a period of 3 years in the whole region. This report describes the operations and implementation progress in the month of February 2009 of the program. It details the ongoing activities with CBO s already identified by CLEAR. In the reporting period, program activities focused on completing the baseline for Clear Uganda, ongoing capacity building of CBO s and finalizing the setting up of this year s action plans with the targeted CBO s and partners among others. Major Accomplishments This section expounds the key activities undertaken during the period under review, and the associated accomplishments/progress realized from each of the components. Component 1: Policy In this month, CLEAR did not conduct activities on policy. The draft gender policy is however scheduled to be discussed in parliament when it reconvenes. CLEAR and other partners keen on ensuring all critical element s of the policy are incorporated are reviewing the document to ensure no critical elements are omitted before this is done. Component 2: Advocacy and Networking CLEAR in this month participated in the second Forum in the campaign for an East African Declaration on Gender Equality (EADGE), held on 17 th February 2008, at Sarova Stanley Hotel in Nairobi. Organised by The Eastern African Sub-Regional Support Initiative for the Advancement of Women (EASSI) a sub regional organization working in eight countries in the Eastern African sub Region, the launch brought together the five countries of the East African Community with an CLEAR MONTHLY NARRATIVE REPORT February 2009 Page 3

4 aim of a regional federation to follow up on recommendations from the launch campaign for a United AGender for East Africa. CLEAR is keen on contributing towards gender equality and women s development and empowerment in the EAC by working together to consolidate and strengthen all the international commitments to gender equality (BPFA, CEDAW, the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and People s Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa and the MDGs) into one regional legal instrument in support of gender equality. Already the countries involved are expressing keen interest in the process and in the long term, it is hoped that this document will develop into an East African Declaration on Gender Equality (EADGE) that will unite all East African Countries in one gender agenda. This forum was extremely useful for CLEAR in working for closer collaboration with the EAC and its organs. Component 3: Capacity Building CLEAR through the NEPAD support aims at providing linkages between natural resource management, land and property rights, economic growth, inequality, poverty, peace, security and sustainability and the need to formulate and implement policies, which are addressing livelihoods through gender equality. To this end, CLEAR continued its work with CBO in western province in Kenya in building their capacity to bring about improvements in their livelihoods thus help play an active role in lesson learning and promoting exchange of experience among other women in the regions selected. In the period under review, CLEAR Uganda also continued its activities which focused on promoting socio-economic justice by working to improve women s livelihoods through secure and equitable access to and control over productive resources with women in Uganda. CLEAR Uganda also completed a baseline assessment of the areas covered under the food security LOAFS program. The main thrusts under this component in the period were as follows: CLEAR Uganda Through its Local Action for Food Security (LOAFS) program, CLEAR Uganda continued to reach, mobilize and support the rural poor, including women, men and youth, who are the main producers of food but also the most food insecure to organize to produce more of the local foods to increase household food security. CLEAR MONTHLY NARRATIVE REPORT February 2009 Page 4

5 Review of Baselines: CLEAR Uganda has just completed the review of the baseline assessment covering areas under the LOAFS program. The purpose of the survey was to identify the felt needs of the community and discuss with local government officials on existing gaps in addressing these needs. The survey covered the core village of Makokha as well as Bunapongo Lower and Bukisikye within a radius of 3 kilometers around the home of Sarah Mutambo. A total of 100 households were randomly selected and interviewed. The major issues covered were children s and women s rights as well as environmental regeneration. Children with Disability - Results from the survey show that out of 100 households, 20 had a child with a disability (CWD). Possible reasons are non completion of the immunization dose, untreated malaria, injection paralysis and poor nutrition. While 23% of the households interviewed did not know what caused disability 77% cited the following:- Sickness, Poor nutrition, Polio, No immunization, Injection paralysis, Untreated malaria and Accidents. Out of 20 CWD only 7 were attending school. On average they were performing well as indicated by the class position during the first term examinations. Examples were; 31 st out of 125, 2 nd out of 15, 18 th out of 70 and 10 th out of 80. Amazingly one girl with hearing impairment was the 7 th out of 108 at Bukasakya Primary School. The reasons advanced for the CWD not attending school included Mentally impaired and sometimes violent, Stammers, Cant sit or walk. I left school because the other children used to laugh at me (boy with cleft lip and palate). Parents have the responsibility to provide all the needs of their children, whether disabled or not. These include food, shelter, clothing, medical care and education. Therefore, parents in Makokha must send their CWD to school and monitor their performance to ensure successful completion. Women and Land - In Makokha village, only 4 women own land in their own right. Compared to men, women in Makokha have less chances to own and control the use of land and other property. And yet for women to be empowered they must have access to equal opportunities. Otherwise they experience insecurity and powerlessness arising out of poverty. To combat this, women in Bungokho-Mutoto have formed associations for development. Orphaned Children and Land - All the 100 households interviewed said there were very many orphans in the village. With regard to accessibility to land, 21% said the orphans owned land, 28% answered in the negative while 51% said they did not know. Some of the reasons advanced for not having land were: Some parents suffering from HIV/AIDS sold the land to raise money for treatment. Some relatives had grabbed the land from the orphans. CLEAR MONTHLY NARRATIVE REPORT February 2009 Page 5

6 Some parents had no land It was strongly recommended that the community should be sensitized on the rights of the orphaned children to own land and other property left by their parents. HIV/AIDS - Out of 100 people interviewed only 5 admitted that they were positive. 67 said No and 28 said they did not know because they had not been tested. Of the 5 who were HIV positive only 2 were accessing treatment. It was strongly recommended to Encourage people to go for testing so as to know their HIV status and to Encourage people who have HIV/AIDS to write wills to safeguard the property left to their children. Overall, the three most critical problems were ranked by the households as:- Poverty - 49% Famine - 29% Sickness - 22% These issues will be discussed with the community and local government. The Survey also covered the core village of Buwangolobe as well as Bumasaba and part of Bunandeda where an additional 100 households were interviewed. In this area, only 8 women own land in their own right. While women till the land, they have no ownership rights over it. One woman said, My husband sold all the land before he died. Then my step son chased me from the house. I have just bought a small plot of land and constructed a house where I live with my three children. And yet for women to be empowered they must have access to equal opportunities. Otherwise, they experience insecurity and powerlessness arising out of poverty. Subsistence agriculture is the major economic activity in Buwangalobe village. Coffee, bananas, maize, beans, tomatoes, cassava are among the crops grown. Food crops are grown mainly for home consumption. A little surplus is sold for income to meet household needs. Some families rear cows, goats and chickens. Because theft is rampant some households share the house with the animals. Households reported that cash and food production had declined due to: Land fragmentation resulting from increase in population. High prevalence of pests and diseases especially for bananas Unreliable weather conditions Soil erosion has reduced soil fertility CLEAR MONTHLY NARRATIVE REPORT February 2009 Page 6

7 High rate of tee felling has affected the environment. It was recommended that encourage agro forestry practices be enhanced. Overall Outputs The following specific outputs have been achieved over the current reporting period: Farmers mobilised: CLEAR s target is to mobilise farmers (mainly women small-holder farmers) in the villages of Makokha, Bunapongo and Bukisukye and help them to get organized in a CBO focusing on ensuring that there is household food security in their homes. At the time of writing this report, a total of 16 farmers (11 women and 5 men) and 4 youth in the villages of Makokha and Bukisukye make up the core group of farmers who are spear heading the local action on food security. In addition, the spill-over effect as a result of the awareness raising which is beginning to emerge indicates that this goal is likely to spread to other parishes in Bungokho Mutoto and even throughout the district. CLEAR Uganda is monitoring this spill-over effect. Increased household food security: The goal under this item is to demonstrate a marked increase in household food security for participating farmers focusing especially on local foods known to protect households from hunger and food insecurity. A number of these farmers have been able to produce enough to last them through the planting season which is the time when they have always experienced hunger. All the farmers also reported have depended less on the market for their daily food supplies and for the first time had sufficient seed to see them through the ongoing planting season. Documentation of case studies and testimonies of women farmers This item is intended to increase knowledge about the situation of women farmers and some of the challenges and constraints they work under in order to fend for their families. The case studies and testimonies are particularly meant to inform policy action and lobby for targeting women farmers and their priorities. Analysis of the policy implications of the emerging issues from the previous 5 case studies is being done after which the information will be packaged for policy advocacy and awareness raising. CLEAR MONTHLY NARRATIVE REPORT February 2009 Page 7

8 Group Plans and priorities for 2009 The core group of farmers involved in the LOAFS program have met and shared their plans for A main goal of 2009 is to increase on the quantities of the crops that each farmer will grow. One session was had with resource persons from Serere Research Center to engage with the farmers on the growing of foods such as millet, sorghum, cassava, sim sim and ground nuts. Bar Kobala Women s Group Work Plan: Year 2009 Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Development of community level work plans for the 2009 planting season 14 Sub-County Food Security Meetings (9 th 13 February) Linkages with Serere Research Center, NAADS program and extension services Purchase distribution seeds Preparation gardens planting and of of and CLEAR MONTHLY NARRATIVE REPORT February 2009 Page 8

9 Follow-up on case studies including identification of entry points for targeting women farmers Storage facilities (granaries) construction Weeding gardens of Monitoring visits Harvest, storage drying, 2009 WFD celebrations Follow-up Continuing to stock and run the grain/seed shop Organising themselves to access financial support for purchase of a tractor to help in crop production. It could also be leased out to the wider community hence generate income to the women on the side. Through their saving scheme merry-go-round the women have made some savings but this is still insufficient to enable them qualify for any sort of financial funding from banks. This will therefore provide necessary funds to hire a tractor for use in the current planting season. Organise to have linkages with suppliers of appropriate technology around the area to be able to benefit from tried and tested methods of working around the low rainfall volumes in the area. CLEAR MONTHLY NARRATIVE REPORT February 2009 Page 9

10 The activities of Bar Kobala were based on CLEAR s programme for reclaiming women s land rights, empowerment promotion, creating wealth and ending hunger at the household level. Table 1: Targets and Results Summary Table Results/ key deliverables Targets Results Explanation Kenyan and Ugandan CBOs continue implementing their action plans Develop action plans for 2009 with all CBOs Baseline completed for CLEAR Uganda Challenges None. Next Steps The major activities for the following month are: Month Activity March 09 Person Responsible Attend the annual CSW Women Workshop by UN in US. Kenyan and Ugandan CBOs continue implementing their action plans Concretize forums and networking plans with partners and stakeholders X X X ED ED, Program coordinator ED, program coordinator CLEAR MONTHLY NARRATIVE REPORT February 2009 Page 10